The Real Trap: A Five Nights at Freddy's 3 Fanfiction
by Stohne Rohse
Summary: Imagine waking up in a strange place all alone with no memory of where or who you are. You've been asleep for almost 80 years. You thought you and your closest friends were dead. Marionette doesn't know what to think. But when his memories and old friends are awakened, he tries his best to defend them from the enemy that was with them all along. {DIFC}
1. Awaken Now, and Remember

_**I, Stohne Rohse, pledge that in no way am I claiming ownership, nor that I created the character(s) in this story nor the various races, species, locations, or events that may be included. I will never attempt to claim any monetary value nor financial gain from this story. My purpose for these stories is for writing practice in a peer-reviewed environment and for the enjoyment of the fans and users of this site only.**_

* * *

I awoke to chilling silence. Unnatural silence. _Ominous_ silence. A nightmarish atmosphere surrounded me... and I could sense that I was alone.

Wait...

Where...where am I?

_Who_ am I?

I couldn't remember anything. Although I was very much aware of my existence and the fact that I was alive, everything was all a blur in my mind's eye. Why was I asleep? How long had I been asleep? Something was telling me it had been a long time, and I wanted to find answers.

Slowly filling my invisible limbs with strength, I forced myself into motion and sat myself up. My movement was shaky and unstable, and I could barely feel my own body. After I was sure that I wouldn't fall over, I rubbed my eyes then opened them, only to be startled by the appearance of where I had awoken.

For a first sight, it wasn't all that lovely.

Above me was a sickly yellow-green tinted ceiling rife with damage and dripping with dirty, stale rain. The air around me was musty and anything but pure as it flowed out a dusty air vent and the only light bulb in the room flickered in and out with a dying light. In front of me was a window that I couldn't see anything through as a result of the poor lighting, and I could sense an opening, probably a door, to my left. To my right underneath the window was a small desk pressed against the wall with an electric fan and various objects scattered across it such as balls of paper, empty soda cans, and...wait...

Figures.

Small, colorful plastic figures. Toys, if you will, all happy and lined up in a row on the desk beside the aged fan. But there was something different about these figures that seemed...familiar. After a moment or two of staring, I decided to get a closer look.

Forcing my tired legs into motion, I shakily stood myself up and took a cautious step towards the desk where I could bend over and get a perfect look at the figures that had piqued my interest.

The first figure was blue with long ears, white belly fur, a black bowtie, three black buttons, and a white muzzle. A rabbit in every obvious way. The next was brown with two semi-circle ears, a black top hat, a red bowtie, two black buttons, tan belly fur and muzzle, and a microphone held in his left hand. A bear. A jolly one, at that judging by the wide smile. The last was bright yellow with an orange beak rather than a muzzle with orange legs, and wearing a white bib that read in big pink letters, "let's eat!" A bird of some sort judging by the beak and legs, perhaps a duck or chicken.

So, a bunny, a bear, and a chicken. I know I've seen them somewhere before, but even after a detailed diagnosis, I could not identify these characters, no matter how many times I skimmed my eyes over them and looked into my mind. I knew not who I was or where I was, all I knew was that I had been asleep a very long time. And as painful as not knowing was, and as much as I wanted to end the mental suffering, there was nothing in my mind to find. Nothing but dark emptiness.

But then something else caught the corner of my eye.

Something pink and white...something bright blue...something vibrant crimson...

I directed my attention to the colors to see a cardboard box filled with various objects sitting on the floor besides the door to the room. Sticking out of the box and contrasting the sickly green of the room was a plastic guitar, a paper plate doll, a hook and a blue arm that both appeared to have been attached to something at one time, and an assortment of...heads?

No.

Masks.

Yes, they were masks. In fact...a few of these masks seemed strangely similar to the toys on the desk. The blue bunny, the brown bear, and the yellow bird...they were all there, empty eyes and all, staring dead at the ceiling.

I took a step forward.

Scanning my eyes quick over the objects as I got closer, I detected a strong smell within perimeter. The box, unlike anything else in this room, smelled of age and fire. Once again, very familiar. I reached my trembling and unseen hands to the box and wrapped fingers around one of the masks. The blue bunny.

The mask was light and had a smooth texture just like brand new fine china. None of the blue paint on the face of the bunny had cracked or peeled, and the red cheeks made a nice contrast to the green of the office. The mask's snout was twisted into a happy, buck-toothed smile, and I could almost imagine what they eyes would have looked like in place of two black holes.

Setting the mask gently back into the box, I let my hands take possession of the chicken's mask next.

The colors were vibrant, but the paint was not as well kept. The porcelain of the mask was chipped around the corners, and some of the paint on the back was peeling off in slim strands. And much like the bunny, the chicken's beak was also a happy smile.

Setting this one besides the bunny, I reached for the bear's mask before I froze, noticing something out of the ordinary. There were two other masks. _Unfamiliar_ masks. One closely resembled a human with a red and blue propeller hat while the other might have been a white wolf or fox judging by the ears and teeth. I stared for a long while, then glanced backwards at the figures on the desk.

There wasn't a human or fox there. These two were different somehow.

Reaching for the human mask, I stared closely at its features, taking in the tan skin tone, propeller hat, red cheeks, and...empty eyes.

And that was when the voices began.

There was a hushed whispering now echoing through my mind, growing slightly louder for every second I stared into the empty eyes of the mask. And the voice sounded...familiar. _Very _familiar. Unlike anything else in the room, it made my mind _ache_ for memories.

Quickly setting the human mask down, I took the fox mask in two hands, hearing the whispering grow louder as I did.

I turned the mask over in my hands several times, taking in the detail of the ears and the lipstick painted onto the snout. But when my eyes wandered into the empty eyes of the mask's, for a split second I could have sworn I saw two blue eyes in the empty black holes. After the flash, the muted whispering became the cacophonous shouting of the one word that I could understand around the uproar.

No.

Not just any word. It was a name.

_Mangle._

Then my thoughts became frantic.

Images and sounds began pouring back into my mind like the water of a broken dam as the voice in my head became louder and louder. My eyes darted from the mask I held in my hands to the masks left in the box. My vision had began flashing in and out from reality to past reality to past until I couldn't tell what was real anymore. There were visions of shiny metal creatures bearing the masks in the box, there were small humans all laughing and cheering, and there was music.

Music...music...?

_Wait!_

_The Music Box!_

A gasp escaped my throat as I stumbled back, dropping the mask on the floor and falling to my knees under the weight of all the memories. The sounds didn't stop upon my surrender. In fact, they came louder and louder and louder until I returned to my feet and caught myself staring dead ahead into the window on the wall where I caught sight of a reflection that made my limbs run cold.

_Now I remember._

* * *

_Hej det, my lovelies!_

_And hey, I'm real sorry about my little "cease-fire" on fanfictions or whatever. I got caught up with something for a week and then that short week became a hiatus. Once again,** real** sorry, but hey, at least I got to get Five Nights at Freddy's 3 the day it came out, right? And lucky you, Marrie's back with all his "friends" (except Bonnie for some reason) in FNaF 3! And never let it be said that I'm not a Raven of my word. The sequel to "Not By the Strings, Please" is finally here! (And for those of you who haven't read that, you might want to otherwise you poor 'lil fellas will be really confused about Marrie's relationships. *winksmile*) Thanks for being here to witness the GRAND (notsograndactually XD) APPEARANCE! It means a lot to me~!_

_~Raven the Stohne Rohse_


	2. Alive

I couldn't believe my eyes.

My...my body...tall, lean and black. White stripes up my arms and legs...long claw-like fingers...red cheeks and purple tears...my...my name...

Marionette.

That was my name.

I was still alive?

No!

I _can't_ be alive! I was scrapped! All of us were scrapped! Wait..._us?!_

Yes, of course!

Those figures...!

The bunny-! _Bonnie!_

The bear-! _Freddy!_

The chicken-! _Chica!_

I remember now! But...but how am _I_ still alive? Why am _I_ here? I don't understand!

And...and those masks...

Is that all that's left of them? Empty heads...? Even Balloon Boy and Mangle...?

No...

They can't be gone.

They can't leave me alone like this.

Its...not fair.

Slowly turning my sights away from the window, I let my eyes drop to the mask I had left on the floor. Sinking to my knees, I picked up Mangle's mask once more and held it close, gripping it for all the pain I felt in my heart. The one who I had loved...was gone.

Forever.

Why did it have to be this way? Why?

I...I...

"Hey, mister!" A raspy voice startled me suddenly, and the mask once again left my grasp for the floor.

Who else could be here!?

Whirling my head around towards the sound, I saw a blurry, unrecognizable figure standing in the doorway with one arm rested up against the wall and one leg crossed over the other. I could notice flecks of red and blue coloring his rounded body, but he was otherwise rather...transparent.

I squinted, then managed to open my mouth and orchestrate words.

"W-who?" I choked, squinting my eyes to get a better look at who was speaking to me, but finding no better results.

The blurry figure cracked a wide smile in response to my half-question, but did not answer regardless.

"What'cha doin'?" He called over to me, changing the subject.

_Grieving, _I wanted to say, but for first impression's sake, I held my tongue for the better.

"N-nothing. Just...I'm just...looking around." I lied.

"Oh really?" The figure giggled, mischief hanging heavy in his tone.

"Yes." I sighed, turning away from him to gently retrieve Mangle's mask and check it for damage. There was a brief pause, then the silence was broken by another hoarse laugh from the figure.

"What're you doing with _those_ dusty old things?"

At that remark, I snapped my stare onto him so quickly I made _myself_ flinch.

"_Excuse me?_" I snapped, rising to my full height in hopes it would intimidate this disrespectful figure. How _dare_ he insult the ones I love! This is unacceptable!

"_What_ did you just say?"

And imagine my fury when my antagonist barely made a reaction to my unsuccessful intimidation. As a reply to my angst, the figure simply shrugged his shoulders and repeated himself with a blasé tone.

"They're just dusty old masks."

_That_ did it.

I wouldn't let him insult my family any more.

Clenching my claws and forcing back tears, I stomped my way over to the doorway and prepared myself for the most important scolding of my life. But when I reached him, my vision sharpened, and I froze immediately.

The red and blue...the rounded body...the smile...the laugh...

It...it...couldn't be.

It's not possible...

"Hey, uh, you're kind of getting in my bubble..." The figure murmured quietly, leaning back on his heels to keep as far away from my startled face as possible.

"Your...your mask...your face...it's...it's...how are you...you're..." I whispered, completely lost for words.

"I'm...uh...super cool lookin'?" The figure chuckled nervously, his blue eyes darting from side to side.

"You're...B-Balloon Boy!" I finally managed to say, jumping back a step, startled at my own outburst.

"Uh...how do you know my name...?" Balloon Boy put on an anxious expression, taking a step back towards the exit. My soaring spirits immediately fell.

"You...you don't remember me...?" I asked quietly, hiding my disappointment the best I could.

"Should I...?" Balloon Boy asked in an unsure tone, as if afraid he would provoke me.

"We...we were best friends, remember?" I said, my voice barely a whisper.

And to this, Balloon Boy went silent, his blue eyes locked on me.

Why didn't he remember me? It...it wasn't supposed to be this way.

"Don't you remember the Tube of Wonder? Don't you remember the adventure we had? Don't you remember Mangle?" I asked, desperately searching my own memory for something that would help him remember. There had to be _something._

Again, Balloon Boy stared at me, but this time, he spoke up.

"Mangle?" He echoed, tilting his head. I nodded quickly.

Did he remember her?

There was a brief pause before Balloon Boy spoke again.

"Oh, yeah, Mangle! She's in the back room with-" Balloon Boy cut himself off with a short gasp. "...wait a minute. She was...she used to be back at the...Kid's Cove! I remember the Kid's Cove! And she would always come play with me at night...and...and she helped me to meet...um...what was his name..." Balloon Boy started muttering to himself, his face screwed into a contemplating expression pointed at the floor.

I watched him, unable to prevent the grin that was stretching onto my face. His antics never failed to amuse me. Even now. After all those years.

"His name was...was..." Balloon Boy said quietly, and when he looked back up at me, his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. I blinked, confused slightly. Had I done something wrong?

"Er...I-" I began, but before I could finish my sentence, Balloon Boy rushed forward and snapped his arms around me and squeezed me into a tight embrace.

"MARRIE!" He exclaimed happily, burying his face in my chest.

My spirits shot up into the sky.

He remembered.

"BB!" I cried, throwing my own skinny arms around him and hugging him close.

"I missed you so much! What took you so long to get here!? I've been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for you!" Balloon Boy said, releasing me and stepping back, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Well...I...I don't know. Now, if you don't mind me asking, where are we?" I asked, looking around the room.

"Oh yeah, this is Fazbear's Fright. OOooooOOOoooo! Spooky, right?" Balloon Boy waved his hands around in the air in front of me to simulate a eerie effect. I chuckled, but made sure to take careful note of the name.

Fright?

Was this place meant to be scary?

Well, I can't say they didn't succeed...

"You know something, Marrie, you said there was gonna be balloons and cake in this place. But there isn't." Balloon Boy huffed suddenly, putting on a pouty face.

"...Well, perhaps the establishment isn't quite open yet. It seems to be abandoned at the moment." I replied, taking a moment to consider how long ago it was that I said that. Back when I thought it was the end for us.

I'm so glad I was wrong.

"Hmph. Well, I guess you're right. No one besides you, me, the work crews or the other three have been-"

"The other three" I interrupted him, perking up upon hearing those words. Balloon Boy blinked an annoyed face at me.

"Don't interrupt me!" He whined, crossing his arms.

"Oh, my apologies." I took a step back and bowed my head slightly. Balloon Boy's upset face evaporated immediately.

"That's okay! But yeah, there's others besides me and you. They're my new friends!" Balloon Boy giggled. I tilted my head.

There was others? Three others?

Could...could Mangle be one of them?

"You...you mean other animatronics?" I asked, rubbing my hands together. Balloon Boy nodded ecstatically.

"Yeah! There's Chica and Freddy-"

"Is Mangle one of them?" I couldn't help but interrupt him again. I needed to know. However, this time, his face was not annoyed or upset, but rather...shocked.

"...Yeah. She is." Balloon Boy responded slowly with a hesitant tone.

To this response, I couldn't help but gasp slightly, grinning wider than ever.

"R-really?" I chirped, unable to contain my happiness.

"...Do you...wanna go see her?" Balloon Boy asked, his smile faded.

Unable to make words, all I could do was nod excitedly.

And to my response, Balloon Boy walked out of the room, motioning for me to follow.

I followed close behind, anxious to see her again.

Thank goodness she was still alive.

* * *

_Hej det, my lovelies!_

_Chapter 2! What fun I'm having writing this! I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am!_

_Thanks so much for supporting me, it means a lot!_

_Please review, and if any of you have any ideas for a direction this can go, let me know and I'll see what I can do!_

_THANKS~!_

_~Raven_


	3. Not Like The Rest

Our walk was completely soundless.

Not one of us said a word as Balloon Boy led me down dark hallways and into small rooms full of posters and dirty walls.

I was rather surprised.

The balloon vendor was usually the talkative one...always going off about something or making jokes...

And honestly, it was very unnerving. It made me start having doubts. Was there something Balloon Boy wasn't telling me? Was he scared?

I wanted so badly to know...but I also wanted to see Mangle again.

I wanted it more than anything in the world to see her...to hear her voice...

"Wait." Balloon Boy suddenly said quietly, startling me away from my thoughts as he stepped into the doorway of a room and holding out an arm to block me from entering. I blinked, slightly confused.

"BB-?" I whispered.

Balloon Boy looked back at me, holding a hand to his mouth as a gesture for me to be quiet. I complied, bowing my head.

After just a few moments of scanning the room over with his blue eyes, Balloon Boy lowered his arm and stepped inside.

"Okay, here we are, Marrie."

I smiled, but that smile vanished almost immediately as I stepped into the space.

This room was like no other before it.

There was a ghastly aura hanging heavy in the atmosphere, and it snaked inside my throat and choked the life out of me with each breath I took of the musty air. It was like being crushed under a weight. After getting a full feel of the room's aura, I scanned my eyes briefly about the place, only seeing Balloon Boy besides me and a wall of darkness ahead of me.

_Was she even here...?_

Yes...yes, she had to be.

There was definitely another presence here. A strange one, at that, but a presence nonetheless.

It _had_ to be Mangle.

Balloon Boy would never lie to me.

"Er...BB? Wh-where is she?" I asked quietly after just a few moments of looking around. Balloon Boy didn't look at me when he responded, bringing suspicions to mind that I chose to ignore.

"She's here," He whispered. "she's just in the dark."

I gave him a long stare.

"D-dark?" I stuttered, taking a look back at the terrifying wall of gloom in front of me, then quickly looking away. Balloon Boy nodded, confirming my fear.

"Yeah, but it's okay, I already checked the room. He's not here." Balloon Boy said, his face holding no readable expression. I blinked, rearing my head back slightly and tilting it to the left.

He's not here?

_He?_

"E-excuse me-"

"Come on, Marrie, everything's okay. You wanted to see Mangle, and she's in there." Balloon Boy interrupted me in an anxious tone, gently pushing me forward.

I swallowed hard, taking my last glance at him before I forced myself to step forward into the darkness.

It was like being swallowed up into a snowstorm at night.

It was dark and cold.

After standing frozen in the gloom for a few moments, my body became accustomed to the feel of the atmosphere, and my hands stopped shaking.

It essentially wasn't that bad, once you got used to it.

It became much easier to see the longer I stood in the darkness. And after about a minute, I could see almost perfectly.

With my newfound dark-sight, I looked around the room, searching for signs of other life besides myself and Balloon Boy. Then, I caught sight of a strange shape huddled up against the wall in the corner.

"M-Mangle?" I whispered, taking a step forward towards the shape. "Is that you?"

The shape did not move.

I took another step, keeping silent for any potential response.

In the dead silence, I heard something. A response, it was not, but rather a very hushed noise that sounded like...breathing.

Raspy breathing.

_Pained _breathing.

I knew for sure it wasn't me or Balloon Boy, as I was practically holding my breath for this situation while Balloon Boy was too far away to hear his breathing so precise.

It has to be her.

"Mangle?" I repeated the word in the same tone from before, approaching so I was standing directly over the shape.

There was a quiet shuffle as I moved, not from me, but from the creature before me. Then it was silent for a few moments.

Then suddenly, in an unpredictable fashion, the shape snapped around to face me, letting out a hiss that made it sound as if it was in unbearable pain, scaring the living daylights out of me and giving me a perfect view of all its features.

This...thing...was an ugly greenish black color, looking much like it had been scorched in a fire. It's body appeared ragged and out of sorts, while its mouth was gaping wide and filled with rows of sharp teeth. But the worst part about it was its eyes.

They were like nothing I had ever seen before. Not on a human or animatronic. They looked like...small, glowing white suns, and they burnt deep into my heart. Then, I noticed some familiar features on the being's face as it got closer.

Ears and a snout.

_It really was her._

_What...what had happened to her...?_

"You..." Mangle hissed suddenly with a horrendously raspy voice, her smoky breath on my face.

_And even her voice was ruined... _I couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in my heart at the sound. _Her voice used to be so soft...so light..._

I opened my mouth to speak to her, to greet her and tell her how much I had missed her, but I was interrupted almost immediately.

"Do you know where you are...?" She growled.

_Fazbear's Fright...?_

"N-n-no..." I choked out without thinking about it, my hands shuddering with sudden fear.

"You're in hell. _His_ hell. A place we can never escape. He took us all those years ago, and now we're trapped. Forced to live a life of eternal suffering." Mangle snarled, her eyes locked permanently into a burning glare.

I blinked, confused by the words she had just said to me.

Again, _he_ was mentioned.

Who were they speaking of?

"M-Mangle, I don't understand..." I sighed, looking over her with wary eyes.

"I know you don't...he hasn't taken you yet...but he will." Mangle's voice was barely a whisper as she shifted slightly to seat herself upon her ghostly black crossbeams and endoskeleton.

"He?" I echoed nervously, rubbing my trembling hands together in an attempt to contain my fear.

"The beast...took our lives away and left us to rot...he won't let us set them free. He said...we can't...we can't...save them..." Mangle answered cryptically, never taking her intimidating gaze off of me.

"S-save who?" I stammered.

"But...but we...we have to help them! We have to help them! We must...save them! Save them! _Save them!_" Mangle wailed suddenly, her head starting to twitch in an awful manner as she repeated the words over and over, ignoring my question.

The words hit my heart like a wooden stake.

Save them? Help them?

No...no...! I don't know what that means!

_Please, please make it stop! I'm begging you!_

"Mangle, stop! This isn't you! Please, stop!" I exclaimed the words ringing in my head in an attempt to calm her.

"YOU CAN'T!" Mangle snarled in a voice other than her own, suddenly rearing up onto her feet, then lashing forward with her teeth bared to bite into me.

I gasped with shock.

Was Mangle really going to attack me?!

No!

_Please, don't!_

Then I felt two hands latch around my waist and yank me backwards, away from her jaws. Just in time, too, as I heard her teeth snap down right where my head had just been.

"M-Mangle!" I let out a short cry, never taking my eyes off her, not even to look back at my savior. "This isn't you!"

"Marrie! Shhh!" Balloon Boy said from behind, dragging me away from the hysterical and convulsing fox.

"BB! BB, I don't understand! Why is she doing this?" I cried, struggling to break free from his grasp.

"Because that's not her anymore." Balloon Boy said slowly in a grim tone, not loosening his grip once under all my thrashing.

"BB, we have to help her! We can't leave her alone like this!" I wailed, trying my hardest to get back to her as she lay on the floor, screaming 'save them' over and over again, her whole body locked in a violent seizure.

"Marrie, we can't! There's nothing we can do!" Balloon Boy argued, dragging me farther back, nearing the door.

"There has to be something we can do! Please!" I retorted, my strength draining away to my unsuccessful attempts to escape.

"No! Everyone's already tried reasoning with her! She's too far gone!" The balloon vendor finally raised his voice loud enough to calm my heart's anger and leave it with just sorrow.

I finally let my arms go limp, prompting Balloon Boy to let go and stand next to me.

"What...what happened to her?" I said, my voice cracking with sorrow as I watched the one who I once loved sob hysterically to herself, shuddering and snarling in between cries.

"We don't know. She was fine for the first few nights..." Balloon Boy trailed off, sadness hanging heavy in his blue eyes. I sighed, forcing myself to hold back tears, then looked up at him.

"BB..." I sniffled, unable to hide my grief. "It wasn't supposed to be this way..."

Balloon Boy shook his head, putting one hand on my shoulder.

"I know you loved her, Marrie, and if we could bring her back to normal, I would do anything." The balloon vendor sighed. I shook my head to evade the ache inside my heart, then strengthened my voice for a question.

"BB, I need to know what happened," I whispered. "she kept saying 'you can't' and 'save them.' I need to know what it means. Please, BB. Please..."

Balloon Boy hesitated at first, giving me a saddened look before answering in a quiet tone.

"Okay, Marrie. You deserve to know. Come on, let's go see the others. We'll tell you the whole story." He sighed, slowly grasping my hand and standing me up to walk out.

Before we left, I made sure to give Mangle, in all her hysterics, one last glance.

"...I'm sorry."

* * *

_Hej det, and welcome to chapter 3!_

_Välkommen till kapitel tre!_

_Thanks so much for sticking with this so far, it really means a lot to me, guys._

_As always, please read and review, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this so far!_

_Am I doing good or am I absolutely sucking? Go on, share your thoughts! I won't bite! :)_

**_BUT I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR ALL YOU SHIPPERS (OR NOT SHIPPERS, WHATEVER TICKLES YOUR FANCY {lol that sounded wrong}):_**

_I've been mulling over writing a JereMike {Jeremy x Mike} fanfiction based off of Rebornica's AU, but I'm not sure where to start. :I_

_In other words, I'm stupid and **I need help coming up with a scenario**. XD_

_So if you've got something in mind, **send me a PM** (and if you're not a user or if you want to remain a guest user, you can probably just recommend something through the reviews section) and if I get a really good one, **I will make sure to properly credit your idea when it comes time to publish it** {if it ever comes to that.}_

_Because honestly, I suck at writing shipping fics. :P_

_I greatly appreciate it~!_

_~Raven the Stohne Rohse_


	4. They're All Still Here, It Seems

_This place is awful._

_Positively horrendous._

It only took me the shock of disappointment and sorrow to realize how horrible it was here.

The air...all of the air...was heavy with the stench of ancient rot and decay, the walls were filthy and damaged, and the decorations...

The heads of former animatronics...made into lamps...

...What kind of hell was this?

Why...why did I have to wake up to this...?

Why?

I sucked in a shaky breath and rubbed my eyes to help hold back tears. They were close, I could feel them, but I wouldn't let myself cry. Mangle wouldn't have wanted me to. _I_ don't want myself to.

"B-Balloon Boy...?" I sniffled, peeking through my fingers at the balloon vendor who was walking nonchalantly beside me. Balloon Boy seemed to slow down upon hearing his name.

"Yeah, Marrie?" He replied, looking up at me with his bright, blue eyes.

"H-how long have you been here...?" I asked shakily.

"Oh, a couple weeks, I think." Balloon Boy responded, not sounding worried at all.

"A-and the others...? Are...are they like Mangle...?" I swallowed hard and forced myself to say her name without a wavering voice.

"Wha-? No! No, of course not! They're _really_ safe. They protect me and everyone else against...him...and they'll protect you, too!" Balloon Boy beamed up at me with a happy tone, all except for the mention of _him _again.

However, this time, I chose to ignore the mention. After all, it wouldn't be long before I knew the truth.

"How...?" I asked, curious to find out how exactly they protected themselves. Balloon Boy's answer this time was hesitant.

"...Hide."

I blinked, taken aback by the answer.

Was..._he_...such a malicious antagonist that all they can do is _hide?_

It...can't be true. There must be more to this than hiding.

But before I could open my mouth to question Balloon Boy's response, the smaller animatronic ecstatically grabbed my arm, shaking me.

"Yeah! We're here!" He giggled, yanking me into a room with him. This room, unlike all the others, was actually rather well-lit, and there were a few broken arcade machines pushed up against the wall. Otherwise, it was rather empty.

There...wasn't anyone here, was there?

I looked down at Balloon Boy, who walked right in the room and began looking around.

"Guys? Where are you?" He called out, not looking scared or worried at all. I swallowed and took a step inside, however, I immediately wished I didn't.

After just a third of a second of standing in the room, a very powerful hand had seized my throat and shoved my harshly into the wall.

As soon as this happened, so many unsavory memories of...Bonnie...flooded into my mind, blinding me and keeping me from seeing who had me caught.

"WHAT ARE YE DOIN' HERE?! YE BE TRESSPASSIN'!" A furious voice growled in my face with breath that smelled of smoke.

"I-I-I-I-!" I attempted to explain myself, but only getting frightened stammers to come out.

_Am I going to die?!_

_Is this the end?!_

"Hey, hey! C'mon, you rusty old bag of fur, put him down!" I heard Balloon Boy's voice protest from the side, striking me with relief. Soon after, the grip on my neck loosened, and I was dropped to the floor, shaking like a leaf.

"Oh. S-sorry, lad. I be thinkin' ye were somebody else..." The voice sounded much less angry this time, and a second later, I sensed a hand in front of me, offering to help me up. With my eyes screwed shut in fear of what I was about to see, I hesitantly slipped my hand into the hand in front of me and felt myself be pulled back to my feet.

Even after being stood up, I kept my eyes shut tight.

Fear had me in a chokehold.

"It's okay, Marrie, you can open your eyes, now," I heard Balloon Boy's voice say in a cheery tone. "he won't bite."

I hesitated a moment before sucking in a deep breath and opening my eyes very, very slowly.

My heart nearly jumped into my throat when I saw who was standing in front of me.

A creature I knew all too well.

_Orange fur...eyepatch...snout...teeth..._

I remembered him.

He was one of the withers.

He was one of my enemies.

He was one of _our_ enemies.

"F-F-F-Foxy!?" I exclaimed his name as I jumped back a step, terrified.

The pirate fox in front of me looked taken aback.

"Uh..." He said quietly, blinking at me with his glowing yellow eyes.

"You...You...You...D-don't...come any closer!" I stammered, holding my hands out in front of me at a feeble attempt at self-defense. I know what this animatronic is capable of, and this time, it was only me.

I can't face him alone.

All I can do is hold my ground and keep him away.

"Marrie, what are you doing? I said he won't bite, didn't I?" Balloon Boy's last few words were not to me, but to someone off to the side, who spoke up a moment later.

"Yeah, you definitely did." A female voice replied to Balloon Boy's question. I blinked, not recognizing the voice.

"Aye, lad. I won't hurt ye. I swear it on me honor as 'n adventurer." Foxy gave a slight bow and flick of his ears, smiling at me with rows of pointed teeth.

"Uh...I...er..." I attempted to say something, but I cut myself off with a tiny squeak as two very strong arms wrapped around my upper torso and squished me up against a wide body.

"Hey, there, guy! I didn't think we'd be getting any more new friends! Welcome!" A deep voice boomed from directly behind me, swinging me around. I let out a tiny yelp, but it was drowned out by the sudden uproar of jolly laughing from three other voices, including Balloon Boy.

"C'mon, Freddy, you're gonna scare him." The female voice spoke up again in a joking tone.

I swallowed hard, gaining some more frightening memories, then I forced myself to look up at who had me in a tight hug. Above me was a large brown bear with blue eyes, a jolly, smiling face, and a top hat.

Without a doubt, it was Freddy Fazbear.

The _original_ Freddy Fazbear.

Another wither.

Another enemy.

I let out a yelp of fright, and attempted to wiggle my way out of his strong grasp, but found it completely futile. He was far too strong.

"L-let me go! _Please_!" I cried out, flailing my arms, trying my heart out to get away.

And to my complete surprise, Freddy let go almost immediately, causing me to fall down onto the floor.

"Sure thing!" He chuckled happily from behind me.

I let out another yip, scrambling behind Balloon Boy as quickly as possible.

"B-B-BB!" I exclaimed, attaching to him, shaking. Balloon Boy turned his head to look at me with a confused expression.

"What are you doing? Why are you so scared?" He asked as if nothing was wrong and the two animatronics in front of me _never_ tried to kill us in the past.

"I...I...They're...they're going to k-kill me...!" I replied in a shaky tone, never taking my eyes off the fox or bear in front of me.

"Now, who said we were gonna kill you?" The female voice sounded right next to my head, causing me to jump and scramble away.

"I know, right? Marrie must be really paranoid or something. Don't take it personally is all I can say." Balloon Boy said, shaking his head at me.

I stared at the balloon vendor awhile with a confused look before looking up at the animatronic besides him, only to see a yellow bird animatronic, watching me with curious pink eyes.

"Oh, well that's too bad. I think he's kinda cute." She murmured, tilting her head to the side. I stared at her for a moment before looking back at Freddy and Foxy, then to Balloon Boy.

"Uh...Uh...Are...these your...f-friends?" I asked the balloon vendor nervously, trying to suppress my shuddering.

It _couldn't_ be them.

They're the withers.

_They tried to kill us both._

"Well, duh. Of course they are!" Balloon Boy replied, rolled his blue eyes.

My fears were confirmed.

I blinked, shook my head, then looked back at the animatronics standing around me with smiles on their faces.

Come to think of it...they weren't nearly as scary as when I first met them.

Chica's face wasn't torn open displaying rows of endoskeleton teeth, her arms were present, and she looked significantly cleaner. Foxy looked slightly better, despite the fact he was missing his hook arm and the fur on his right ear. Freddy looked almost completely intact, all except for he was missing his right ear, leaving only cords to hang out.

And their eyes...they didn't glow with burning hatred like before...

The colorful glows...seemed..._welcoming._

And I must admit...it warmed my heart.

"Your...friends..." I whispered, looking slowly over at the other animatronics.

"Yes, Marrie. Friends. _Friiiiieeeends._" Balloon Boy extended the word for extra emphasis.

"I...They're...they don't want to kill me...?" I said quietly, watching them in disbelief.

"No, laddie! We be here 'n this together!" Foxy exclaimed in between a mechanical pirate laugh, shaking his head.

"No, siree! You're one of us now!" Chica chirped, nodding her head.

_I don't know what to say. _

_I...I...can't speak._

_I'm too choked up..._

...My enemies...they aren't the enemies I had known.

They...wanted to be my friend...?

Oh, how they reminded me of the Toys...it hurt so much to miss them...but it felt so nice to have new friends...

I'm not alone...I'm not alone...

_I...I have friends again..._

"I...don't know what to say..." I managed to whisper, standing myself up and rubbing my hands together.

Freddy took a step forward.

"Then don't say anything! You're here, and that's all that matters! Welcome to the Fazbear gang!" Freddy boomed, throwing his hands up in the air, beaming. I returned the smile, and looked around at all of them.

"Th-thank you all so much..." I murmured. "Thank you."

"Now, why don't'cha tell us your name, huh?" Chica said, stepping forward and putting a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her, a bit confused at first until I remembered that these animatronics had likely lost all their memories. I briefly considered attempting to jog their memory of me, but after a few seconds of thinking up bad outcomes, I decided to drop the idea and start fresh.

And so, I opened my mouth to answer the question, but before I could, Balloon Boy interrupted.

"This is Marionette, you guys." The balloon vendor chirped, grinning.

"Well, welcome to ye, Marionette. I be Foxy, but ye sound like ye already knew that." Foxy shrugged, drooping his ears slightly.

I gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement.

"I'm Chica Chicken. Nice to meet you!" Chica chimed in, seizing my hand and giving it an ecstatic shake.

I was a bit shocked, but I gave her a smile anyways.

"And I'm Freddy. Freddy Fazbear." Freddy grinned at me, bowing his head slightly.

And for Freddy, I mirrored his massive grin best I could.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all, and I'm very grateful for your hospi-" I cut myself off as soon as I realized something was off.

_Freddy...Chica...Foxy..._

_Wait._

We were missing someone.

There was one other animatronic in the band.

But who...?

_Bonnie._

_That was it. That's who we're missing._

_Where was Bonnie?_

"Um...excuse me, Freddy, but where's Bonnie...?" I asked, looking around the room to make sure I didn't miss him if he was here.

Everyone went silent.

_Was I not supposed to know...?_

"...Uh...we dunno. From what I heard, Freddy, Foxy, and Chica all woke up at the same time and I came later." Balloon Boy was the first to break the silence with a quiet tone.

"Aye. Balloon Man speaks the truth. Thar be no sign of th' bunny anywhere." Foxy walked up to stand next to Balloon Boy, tilting his head slightly to face me.

"What...what happened to him...?" I asked, unable to keep my curiosity contained.

"We dunno. Hopefully he'll join us soon. I kinda miss the guy." Freddy shrugged.

"And hopefully Springtrap didn't get 'em." Chica sighed, shaking her head.

Everyone in the room seemed to freeze at the same time.

Springtrap?

I've never heard _that_ name before...

"Springtrap...?" I echoed, looking at her. Chica gave me a startled look that she quickly passed onto Freddy.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to mention him, I really didn't!" Chica said frightfully, her hands starting to shake.

"No, no, it's okay. It's not nighttime yet." Freddy sighed, rubbing his eyes.

I tilted my head, making sure my confusion was well-displayed. It was a moment before they noticed.

"Oh! Right, sorry. I forgot you're new." Freddy exclaimed, tilting his head.

"Yeah, you guys, tell 'em the story! He keeps asking me about him." Balloon Boy chimed in, sitting down on the floor next to Chica.

"Ye might want ta sit down, lad. This is quite th' tale." Foxy whispered next to my ear, putting a hand on my shoulder and sitting me down.

Freddy came and sat in the middle of the circle, his gaze locked on me while he cleared his throat.

I swallowed hard and prepared to listen.

I wanted to know.

I needed to know.

_Who is Springtrap?_

* * *

_Hej det, och välkommen till kapitel fyra!_

_Hey, there, and welcome to chapter four!_

_{confetti poppers go off}_

_I'm so glad you've stayed with me so far, I'm getting really into this!_

_And sorry for the week of no activity, I couldn't get around to writing for some reason. Maybe I was too caught up with that awful thing they call life. XD {{Just kiddin'}}_

_ANYWAYS, please review! I love hearing what you guys think of this so far!_

_And I don't think I've mentioned this, but if you find any mistakes, please let me know so I can fix them. It would help a lot._

_Thank you!_

_~Raven the Stohne Rohse _


	5. Who Is Springtrap?

"Alright, Marionette. Are you _sure_ you want to know this story...?" Freddy asked me in a warning tone as he tapped his index fingers together sheepishly.

I nodded fervently.

"Yes, please." I said politely, folding my hands in my lap.

Freddy sighed.

"Alright, alright. Here goes. Springtrap...is an animatronic. He lives here in this place just like we do." Freddy began, obviously choosing his words carefully.

_An animatronic. I could have guessed that. But I knew not of a...Springtrap. I needed more information._

"An animatronic, you say?" I chimed in, tilting my head.

"Yes, you heard right. An animatronic. A human sized one." Freddy replied, nodding once.

"What does it look like?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.

To this question, Freddy seemed to hesitate, the blue glows in his eyes dimming slightly.

"...Well, I've only seen him...o-once...and from what I can...remember, he's a sort of yellowish green color. And he...kind of looks like Bonnie." Freddy said, stumbling on his words a few times.

A human sized yellow Bonnie? Like a Golden Bonnie?

_Should I know this from somewhere...?_

No, no.

I've never met a Springtrap or Golden Bonnie in my life.

"Okay, continue." I said quietly in a voice barely above a whisper, leaning in slightly.

Freddy nodded.

"A-anyway, he's lived here in this place for as long as we can remember being here, and he seems to be..._hunting us._" When Freddy said the words, everyone in the room seemed to jump.

"Hunting you-? But why-? What would he do if he caught you-?" I asked. And after I did, I couldn't help but notice Foxy and Chica as they exchanged worried glances.

"Well...you...kind of already know the answer to that question." Freddy said slowly as he shifted his blue eyes onto the door briefly.

_I...already know the answer...? Do I?_

I blinked, then looked at Balloon Boy as if asking him what Freddy meant.

Balloon Boy met my gaze, and made a gesture for sharp teeth and ears with his hands.

Oh...he meant Mangle.

So, if Springtrap catches you, you become like her...?

_That...doesn't make any sense, though..._

"A-anyways, so we've been here for a little while now, and we're all well accustomed with how to hide from...Springtrap. And since you're unfamiliar with how things work, we'd be glad to teach you." Freddy said quickly as he stood up.

"Wait just a moment. If Springtrap is an animatronic just like us, then why is he hunting us? Better yet, what has he done to Mangle?" I said just as quickly, standing up to face him.

Freddy met my determined stare with a startled and confused expression of his own. My resolve faltered immediately.

_Had I said something wrong...?_

"F-Freddy...?" I said quietly, tilting my head.

"Marionette...we're not animatronics, you know that, right?" I heard Chica say from behind me as she stood up. I turned to face her as confusion washed through my thoughts.

"Wh-what do you mean we're not animatronics...?" I asked in a shaky tone as I started to figit nervously.

What _did_ she mean by that...?

We were animatronics in every obvious way!

_...Weren't we...?_

"I mean what I said. We're not animatronics, Marionette." Chica sighed, shaking her head.

"Th-then what are we?" I asked, looking around at all those around me, who were avoiding my gaze.

_Why weren't they responding...?!_

"B-Balloon Boy?" I said quickly, taking a step towards the balloon vendor, who was the only one looking at me. "Wh-what do they mean?" I asked, unable to stop my tone from sounding frantic.

Balloon Boy hesitated a moment before opening his mouth to speak.

"Ghosts." He said quietly, then looked down again.

"Wh-what?! _Ghosts?!_" I cried, taking a step backwards into the wall.

"Aye, mate. We be phantoms." Foxy sighed, shaking his head.

My gaze darted to Foxy, then to Freddy, then to Balloon Boy, then back to Freddy.

"I-is this true? Are we truly gh-ghosts?" I asked apprehensively, starting to shake like a leaf.

Freddy looked up slowly and nodded, confirming my fears.

"Yes...we are ghosts." Freddy said quietly.

"S-So you mean to tell me that we're all _dead?!_" I cried out, dismayed.

"Well, yeah. We were all scrapped, don't you remember?" Balloon Boy said, looking between me and Freddy a few times.

"But...but...Balloon Boy...this...doesn't make any sense..." I said, my legs starting to feel like jelly. Balloon Boy shook his head.

"I dunno why we're here either, all I know is that we stay here and avoid Springtrap. That's it." The balloon vendor sighed.

"But...why...?" I whispered, nearing tears.

"Marionette, look at me. As long as you're here, we won't let anything happen to you, I promise. You just have to trust us." Freddy sighed, taking a step forward and locking me into a squishing hug.

I felt my body go limp as he did, and I sniffled quietly.

"A-alright...I trust you..." I said quietly. After just a few more seconds, Freddy let go of me.

"Good." He said, nodding once.

"Freddy, the guard's coming in..." I heard Chica say as she peered out the door. Freddy looked over.

"Uh-oh. It's almost twelve." Freddy murmured.

"A-almost twelve...? What does that mean?" I asked, but before I could get an answer, Freddy, Foxy and Chica had already began out the door. I looked at Balloon Boy with a questioning face.

"Just follow me, Marrie." Balloon Boy said, snatching me by the hand and dragging me down the hall after them.

My heart sank.

I have a bad feeling I won't have to wonder about Springtrap for very much longer...

* * *

_Hej det, and sorry about the mini hiatus, there._

_I've just been really busy with everything, and I'll try to get back into a good schedule._

_Oh, and did you hear?_

_A Five Nights at Freddy's movie adaptation **AND** a Five Nights at Freddy's 4 confirmation?!_

_Oh, happy day, caloo calay!_

_Our friend Scott is probably just rolling in the dough by now!_

_Good luck to you, Master Cawthon, and don't work yourself too hard!_

_Anyways, enjoy chapter 5, and I'll be seeing you hopefully at chapter six! :)_

_~Raven the Stohne Rohse _


	6. The First Night

Nobody said a word as we rushed down the rotting corridors and into the linking rooms. It was unnerving, true, but it was also very bizarre. By the way they were all acting about this...Springtrap...made me wonder.

He's just an animatronic, yes? What makes him so different from us?

I wanted so badly to ask, but there was a feeling in my heart begging me to stay silent for the greater good. A greater good that I did not know.

"Alright, gang, file in." Freddy was the first to speak up in quite awhile as we all approached the small room I had woken up in. Except this time, there was another presence in the area.

A _human._

A smaller one, at that. He was maybe about 17 or 18 years old with a lean frame and a head of mahogany brown hair. His emerald green eyes were fixed on his watch and he seemed to never blink.

Watching him just reminded me that it had been a very long time since I've last see a human, and I was fascinated to say the least.

"...Who...is that...?" I whispered to Balloon Boy, never taking my eyes off this young man.

"Huh? Oh, that's just Isaac, the night watch." Balloon Boy replied, not taking near as much interest in this man as I was.

"...Isaac?" I echoed, tilting my head to the left.

"Yeah, that's right."

"..Oh..." I whispered, taking a step towards him. Upon closer examination, I could tell that this human was frightened as he watched the clock on his wrist and tapped on the desk with his free hand.

I looked over his shoulder at the small clock. I remembered from my time at home in the Prize Corner what 12:00 A.M. looked like, and the hands of his clock were very, very close. Was that what had him so scared?

"_Marionette! Come here!_" I heard a quick whisper from the other end of the room.

Quickly looking to where the sound came from, I saw all the animatronics huddled in the corner, frantically beckoning for me to come.

Giving my head a light shake, I quickly joined them and was almost immediately sucked into the huddle of metallic bodies in the corner.

"Now, listen, Marionette. Whatever happens, you must stay right here with us. Do not leave." Freddy said to me quickly, keeping me close.

I shakily nodded.

"O-Okay..." I gave a small murmur and fidgeted slightly with my long fingers.

After that, we all went completely silent.

No one spoke. No one moved. Silence.

At least, it _was_ silent until the man called Isaac suddenly sat up straight and began quickly fiddling with a panel attached to the wall on his right. I watched him, curious of what he was doing, but did not move.

What it appeared to be on the panel was a camera system displaying in low quality the rooms of the facility. The man was quickly tapping the panel, switching rooms over and over again in a minor panic.

This went on for a moment until he finally came to a stop on one of the cameras. The room in which he had stopped was dark, and there was what appeared to be a figure standing in the back of the room. I narrowed my eyes to try and see what it was, but before I could, the camera went static and the figure disappeared.

Letting out an annoyed groan, the man quickly pressed a button on the screen that played a sound effect sounding like Balloon Boy's laugh in the room that had once been occupied. It was quiet a moment, then the screen went static again and the figure had returned. The man gave a sigh of relief.

This was all very confusing to me.

What was the man doing? What is that figure? Is that Springtrap?

I lightly shook the questions out of my head and continued to watch intently. For the first few hours, it was the same process with playing the sound effect to lure the figure into different rooms.

But something changed once the time reached 3:00 A.M.

The man visibly jumped, then red lights and a warning siren began going off in the office. The animatronics beside me all seemed to tense as the man quickly turned to pick up another panel off the desk and quickly tap a green word reading 'ventilation' on the screen.

A moment after that, the lights and siren stopped, and the man quickly went back to flipping through cameras in a panic.

The animatronics around me were tense at this point, to match Isaac's thick trepidation. All of their unblinking, glowing eyes were locked on him as he desperately flicked around cameras, their mouths silent and their bodies stiller than statues.

Apparently these evenings were very...dynamic. And all I could do is wonder. _What was it they were so worried about?_

_I needed to know._

"...BB...?" I whispered as quietly as I could to avoid alerting the others, crouching a bit to meet Balloon Boy's blue stare.

"Yeah?" He whispered back, meeting my gaze with but a quick flick of his eyes.

"...What will Springtrap do if he reaches us...?"

After I asked the question, I immediately wished I hadn't. The look Balloon Boy gave me after was enough to make me want to go silent for a hundred years.

I shrunk back and quickly looked down.

Perhaps I'd be better off not knowing. As much as it hurt being in the dark, some things are better off not being known.

However, Balloon Boy opened his mouth to respond anyway, but before he could, a mournful groan shattered the silence of the room.

I jumped, the animatronics tensed and Isaac gave a small, startled yelp.

I immediately began to shake.

That noise! That _awful _noise! _What in the heavens was that?_

It sounded so...tormented...

So...melancholy...

So..._close_...!

I bit back a short gasp at the realization.

That sound was nearby!

And apparently I wasn't the only that had noticed.

All the animatronics around me were staring at Isaac with pure horror in their eyes while he shivered violently, playing audio in rooms whenever he got the chance.

I watched him a moment before something else caught my eye. Something in the window.

I was almost afraid to look, but of course, my curiousity got the better of me.

Swallowing hard, I slowly shifted my eyes onto the window.

As soon as I saw what was standing there, my heart leapt into my throat.

What I saw was an awful, rotting creature. It was a disgusting yellowish brown color with glowing, humanoid eyes, a filthy grin, and a scarred and battered body. What I couldn't help noticing was the resemblance it had to Bonnie. Another thing I couldn't help but notice was what was inside the suit.

Flesh.

Rotting, disgusting, horrible human flesh.

There was a corpse inside of this creature.

A once human, trapped forever in a zombie's shell.

It took a lot of willpower to prevent myself from gagging.

I quickly looked back to Isaac, not wanting to watch the abomination through the window any more.

Unfortunately, he'd seen it too, and was pale as a ghost. The animatronics were not much better.

I gulped and quickly looked down.

That was Springtrap. There isn't a doubt about it.

The way the others spoke of him as a horrifying, dangerous creature...I think I understand why.

"...Oh, Maaaaaaaarioneeeette?" I heard a growling, deep voice rasp from far away.

I tensed.

"Maaaaaarioneeeeette?" The voice repeated, sounding from somewhere outside the office.

No.

No.

It wasn't Springtrap.

He didn't know my name.

He didn't.

_He can't._

"...Marionette, look at me..." The voice chuckled evilly.

I gave a small whimper.

"...Come on..."

_No._

"...You know you want to..."

_I won't._

"...Don't you know who I am...?"

_Please stop-!_

"...Aren't you curious...?"

_I said stop-!_

"...I know how to fix Mangle..."

_...!_

I froze and almost immediately looked up at the window, despite everything my mind was telling me.

This time, the awful beast was staring right at me, grinning deviously.

"You do?!" I gasped, causing everyone around me to jump and look at me.

"Marrie! Don't listen to him!" Balloon Boy said quickly, immediately grabbing onto my arm.

"You must tell me!" I choked out, trying to stand, but being held down by everyone.

Springtrap simply stared at me, chuckling quietly.

"Please!" I pleaded, trying to break away from those holding me back. "You must tell me how to bring her back!"

To this, Springtrap tilted his head slightly and said in a whisper that echoed through my mind.

"...You can't."

And just as I was about to break free, the clock's chime signaled six A.M.

* * *

_Hej det, my friends._

_Before I say anything, I just want to say, I'm really sorry for my long hiatuses. I've been really busy lately._

_That being said, I hope you enjoy chapter six, and I'll start working on chapter seven, though I don't know when I'll have it out._

_Please read and review! :)_

_~Raven_


	7. Taken

"Marionette! What on Earth were you thinking?! He could have hurt you!" I could barely hear Freddy's reprimanding voice over my own sobs.

It hadn't been long after 6:00 A.M. and the guard had left that all the animatronics around me had started scolding me about my actions in the presence of Springtrap in the window. Even though their scolding was in a friendly sense, and it was for my own good, I still couldn't help but feel awful for almost putting myself and my friends and even the night guard in danger.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" I managed to choke out, while holding my face in my hands.

"No, no, don't apologize. We're just...just...worried, was all. Springtrap could have hurt you." Chica sighed, gesturing a bit to Freddy as if asking him to calm down a bit.

"Aye, the Springtrap is a nasty piece 'o work," Foxy shook his head a bit, and set his hand on my shoulder. "We just didn't want ya ta be hurt, matey."

I sniffed, then hiccupped with my crying, unable to choke out any more words.

But in my heart, I was thanking them over and over again.

They cared for me.

They actually cared for me. Enough to prevent me from becoming endangered by Springtrap.

But they were right. I was foolish to try and approach that creature. After everything I had been told about him. About what he did to Mangle...

But that was just the thing.

He said he knew how to fix her.

_He knew my name._

_How on Earth_ did he know my name? Does he know anyone else's name?

_No._

_No._

_Enough._

I shook my head and curled up closer to the animatronics that were holding me close, comforting and scolding me.

_I didn't want to think anymore about it._

Not now. Not today.

**x~x~x**

I spent all day in silence.

The others made attempts to talk to me, to bring me up, but I could not stop thinking about him.

About what he said to me.

Even while Balloon Boy tried to teach me one of his new games.

Even while the animatronics exchanged stories.

Even while the animatronics all huddled up in the office again.

Even when I should have been concerned about our safety, I continued to dwell on it.

Even when the guard had his panic episodes with the monitors, his words did not stop echoing.

The fact that he knew my name was enough to unsettle me as such. But the way he spoke to me, using Mangle to make me want to put myself in danger...

It didn't make sense to me...

_How did he know to do that? What else does he know about me? Something I don't?_

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by collective gasps from those surrounding me.

I jumped a bit, for the first time all day, I was pulled away from my thoughts. I looked around at all my friends, and the guard, whose wide eyes were all focused on the doorway, where a face all too familiar was peering in.

_Springtrap was literally at our doorstep._

In all my thinking, I forgot to be concerned about what would happen if he got too close. And now that he was here, staring in the office through the only way in or out, I immediately became terrified.

Those around me were not much better, especially not the night guard, who was shivering as if he was bare nude in Antarctica, his terror stricken blue, human eyes locked on Springtrap.

Springtrap himself did not move, his dead, zombie gaze hovering over the guard's and his body twitching occasionally.

The animatronics around me had shrunk back to the far corner of the office, watching the staring contest occur between human and zombie animatronic.

Not long into this, I noticed that the guard in all his distraction had not been checking the panel to his left that he often fiddles with. I assumed it was important, as it stopped the red lights and sirens from before...

Ironically enough, just as the thought crossed my mind, the red lights in the office started to flash.

The animatronics all tensed, as did the guard, but he did not move his eyes from the animatronic he was staring at or his hands from his lap.

My body went cold.

_What would happen if he did not resolve this issue? Was it even an issue at all?_

_The last time that it happened he seemed so panicked...what could it mean?_

I couldn't do anything but watch and ponder while the blaring of the red lights continued, as did the exchange of stares from our antagonist and the night guard. I knew better this time than to try and interfere.

However, as seconds ticked by, the urge to help became stronger as I noticed things about the guard and the area around me. What I recognized as stale, cold air had stopped flowing out of vents in the ceiling, and it seemed to be affecting the guard.

The guard looked very pale, and his breaths were deep and raspy, as if he was struggling for oxygen. And as the red light and siren persisted, his difficulty breathing seemed to intensify.

Soon, the guard was wheezing and gasping, gripping his own throat. His eyes were wide, but seemingly empty, his mouth opening and closing like a fish's gills when it is removed from water and his skin was pale like paper.

My hands shook as I watched the guard's struggle, but my body went absolutely still as I saw Springtrap move for the first time since I noticed him in the doorway. And it wasn't a departure.

The rotten golden green animatronic shuffled forward a step at first, then suddenly darted forward towards the guard and gave a loud and horrible screeching hiss. The guard seemed to jump and open his mouth wide, as if he wanted to scream, but no noise escaped his jaws.

Then Springtrap's twitching hands jerked forward and grabbed the guard by the throat. The guard's hands shot up to the animatronic's to try and pry his iron grip away, but strength in the human's arms only lasted a second, as there was a sickening crunch as Springtrap's hands tightened their grip around the human's fragile neck.

I shrunk back under the sound, and cowered further as soon as I saw the blood and white bone sticking up through the skin of the guard's neck.

The animatronics around me looked horrified as the guard started to try and scream through the blood that had filled his mouth, his body shivering and jerking around.

Springtrap continued to hold the guard well up above the floor until the human's body fell completely limp, and he dropped him to the floor, with his blood all over his hands.

I bit back a whimper and clenched my fists, praying the creature would turn and walk away.

To my dismay, he did not.

Instead, he turned his head and looked directly at us, his eyes glowing with ecstasy and hatred.

I felt the animatronics around me cower with fear.

Springtrap blinked slowly at us, then chuckled deeply.

"Well hello there..." The rotting creature tilted his head to the left, raking his eyes over us.

Nobody replied. Springtrap seemed to pause, as if expecting an answer.

"What, don't wanna talk to me? Foxy? Freddy? Not even Balloon Boy?"

Balloon Boy, who was next to me, clung to my arm and buried his face in my chest.

Springtrap chuckled evilly.

"Heh...So, so scared, huh...? Reminds me of...a certain bunch of...colorful little guys..." Springtrap mused, curling his bloody fingers.

Foxy, who was behind me, shifted slightly to stand on his knees.

"Arr, you...you leave us alone, y'hear?" The fox growled, baring his teeth slightly.

Springtrap merely blinked at him.

"Brave, aren't you? IIII remember yooouuu..." The creature shuffled a step forward, his rotten and decayed body giving a squeak as he did.

Foxy whimpered quietly and seemed to shrink back down.

"I-I meant it...Go back ta yur storage closet, matey...back ta where ye belong..."

My gaze darted to from Springtrap to Foxy, then back to Springtrap.

_Was this bravery or suicide?!_

"...You think you're pretty scary, huh...You think you can scare me off?" Springtrap growled, his ears twitching.

"...I just want ta be protectin' me mates, devil." Foxy perked his ears forward, his voice seeming to waver.

Chica, who was cowering next to Foxy, seemed to sit up a bit straighter.

"...Ye-yeah, me too. I wanna protect my friends, too." Her voice was wavering too, but it seemed she was trying to be brave, just like Foxy.

Freddy and Balloon Boy, however, looked absolutely terrified.

Springtrap's gaze shifted between Chica and Foxy a few times before he threw his head back and started to laugh.

"Oh, goodness, how _scary_. Enough to give a man nightmares." Springtrap mocked, grinning and laughing.

Foxy and Chica simply glared.

"...Heh...heh...nightmares..." Springtrap chuckled to himself.

"Yeah, nightmares, just like you." Chica spat, her pink eyes narrowed.

"Oh, I'm absolutely _flattered_, my dear. However, I wasn't talking about _me_, I was talking about _you_."

Foxy looked appalled.

"We are _not_ nightmares!" The fox snapped his teeth at Springtrap, his ears tilted forward.

Springtrap's laughing abruptly stopped, and his next three words made my body freeze.

"Not yet, anyway."

And, in a flash of movements, before Foxy or Chica or any of us could respond, the rotting creature darting forward, grabbing both Foxy and Chica by their arms and yanking them forward, away from me, Balloon Boy and Freddy.

Foxy thrashed and tried to bite into the iron grip that held him, but Springtrap was faster, and his hold was quickly shifted from the fox's only arm to his metal neck, preventing him from moving his head anymore.

Chica was much easier to hold, as she wasn't as violent as Foxy, and Springtrap's bloody grip was soon fastened to her neck as well.

Next to me, I heard Balloon Boy cry out and grip me tighter, and behind me, I heard Freddy give a startled gasp.

And now that there wasn't anyone holding me back, I had an impulse that I acted on.

Whether or not it was foolish or brave is up to someone else's judgment.

"Let them go!" I jumped up and shouted at the creature, my hands shaking.

Springtrap froze in place, then blinked at me.

"Oh, Marrie...look at this...I didn't expect you to become courageous." Springtrap growled, tilting his head to the far right.

I took a deep breath in.

"...Let them go. Please." My tone was softer this time, as I could feel Freddy's and Balloon Boy's horrified gazes on the back of my head.

"...Do you think that because you said 'please', I'll drop these two?" Springtrap chuckled, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Well...I'd like to think so..." I stammered.

"Oh, well, that's a shame. It didn't work while blood pumped through them, why would it work now?"

I blinked.

_What did he mean by that?_

_While blood pumped through them?_

"...Wh...What do you mean?" My internal questioning leaked out into words.

"Oh, you don't remember? Tsk tsk...Mangle does...these two soon will..." Springtrap mused and leaned forward slightly, causing me to take a small step back.

"Remember what?" My voice had become significantly more quiet.

"...Maybe I can jog your memory."

I blinked, then opened my mouth to speak, but before a word could escape, all the air inside me rushed out as Springtrap harshly threw his head back to flip up his animatronic head to display something most disturbing.

What I saw was the rotting face of the man that had died in the suit of Springtrap. His mouth was agape and filled with rotten teeth, while his popped out eyes were glowing with evil light from within. The wires and metal spears that had once been a part of the animatronic's endoskeleton had skewered the skin of his cheeks and stabbed through the roof of his mouth, forcing his jaws to remain apart.

But it wasn't the gruesome image itself that shook me.

It was the astounding familiarity that washed through me when I saw it.

Something about the dead man's face...

I know I've seen that somewhere before. I know I have!

The shock of seeing it was so intense, I even stumbled backwards into Freddy, who grabbed onto my shoulders and held them tight, keeping my shaking body in place.

Springtrap stared at me a moment, then laughed loudly. Maliciously.

"Oh ho, you _almost_ remembered me, didn't you, Marionette? Oh, yes. Soon. Soon you'll remember." The dead man's jaws did not move as he spoke, but his face seemed to shiver as a deep and raspy breath was inhaled.

I stammered a few times, unable to speak.

Springtrap watched me a moment, and at seeing how I had nothing to say, he flipped his head forward to conceal the corpse's face under his rotten animatronic mask.

"Be seeing you soon." Springtrap chuckled, then slowly turned and walked over the corpse of the dead guard out of the office, dragging the thrashing fox and chicken by their necks behind him.

I watched helplessly, with Freddy holding to my shoulders and Balloon Boy holding to my arm.

And while I should have been thinking about how he had just taken Chica and Foxy away from us like Freddy and Balloon Boy likely were, all I could think about was that dead man's face.

_Who was that?_

_Is there more to this Springtrap character than I originally thought?_

* * *

_Hey hey hey, howdy do? :^)_

_It's been a long time, hasn't it?_

_Sorry I've been gone so long, I've been doing all kinds of crap like my Mangle and Withered Bonnie fursuits and just_

_It's been a mess, really._

_But I've missed writing quite a bit, and I finally found time to get another chapter to this up! :D_

_In the future, I'll try to be more active about updates, I swear._

_Let's say it's my_

_New Year's Resolution. ;P_

_~Raven_


	8. Discontinuation

Hello everyone, it's me, Vesper!

Unfortunately, this story has been permanently discontinued. I'm sure I'm disappointing a lot of people, it's just that I really don't like writing fanfiction as much as I used to. I'm sorry to let a bunch of people down.

On the bright side, I'm a lot better at drawing than I am at writing fanfiction, so please, if you want to keep up with what I'm doing, why don't'cha follow me on DeviantART? I'm a lot more active there!

Again, sorry to let you all down.

You can follow my DeviantART here:


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